This fall, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) premieres Frida: beyond the myth, bringing together approximately 60 works by Kahlo and her contemporaries to explore the life of one of the most revered artists of the 20th century. Lifting the veil of myth that obscures our understanding of the artist as an individual, the exhibition delves deeper into the defining moments of Kahlo’s life as depicted through her self-portraits, still lifes, key biographical drawings, and captured in photographs by the friends and fellow artists who knew her best. Co-curated by Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director, and Sue Canterbury, the Museum’s Pauline Gill Sullivan Curator of American Art, the exhibition is on view at the DMA from August 18 through November 17, 2024. Frida: beyond the myth is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and is presented by Texas Instruments (TI).

“The mark of a great artist is their ability to translate into art what’s in their hearts and souls, so that others may understand; Frida Kahlo is a great example of this”, said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation and TI director of giving and volunteering. “She was a brilliant artist whose themes around identity are still influential today. We are honored to sponsor this exhibition of Kahlo’s works so that others can learn from how she expressed her reality and apply it to their own self-discovery. This is yet another example of groundbreaking exhibitions that the Dallas Museum of Art is bringing to our city, continuing to build their and Dallas’ reputation around the world”.

Despite her position as one of the most documented artists of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) remains an elusive figure, clouded by a mythology that focuses on her significant personal challenges: her relationships, her injuries and many surgeries, and the lifelong pain she endured over her short life. Even the works she created—which expressed her emotive responses to these powerful events—hinder our understanding of Kahlo as an individual, as she constructed a persona of opposing characteristics: seductive and innocent, strong and vulnerable. However, through the lens of Kahlo’s family, friends, lovers and fellow artists who captured different aspects of her life and personality, we are granted additional perspectives on the woman behind the myth.

“Frida Kahlo has always received a warm welcome at the DMA. From our 2017 blockbuster exhibition Mexico: 1900-1950 to the more focused presentation of five of her works that we exhibited three years ago, audiences flocked to the Museum to behold the work of this cultural icon”, said Arteaga. “Though Kahlo is beloved for her vibrant and emotional paintings, there is still much to learn about who she was as a person. Through this exhibition, we hope to peel back some of the layers to reveal more about the individual who continues to captivate audiences here and around the world”.

Frida: beyond the myth brings together a selection of nearly 30 of the artist’s paintings, drawings and prints that she embedded with symbolic representations of her emotional state at various points in her life. These self-portraits and still lifes are complemented by prints and photographs of Kahlo by those closest to her, including Diego Rivera, Nickolas Muray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Julien Levy and more. Together, these works offer a closer examination of the events that shaped Kahlo’s life and how she responded to them, progressing chronologically from her early childhood in Mexico, to her tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, her blossoming career between Mexico and the United States, and her difficult final years—as well as the devastating injuries, illnesses and chronic pain she suffered most of her life.

“Frida Kahlo was incredibly self-aware, carefully constructing the persona that she uses to represent herself in her artworks. Through this persistent self-fashioning, Kahlo was, in essence, the architect of her own myth—a myth that she was ultimately devoured by”, said Canterbury. “It is only through the eyes of those around her that we are able to get closer to who she really was, seeing her as she was seen and not only as she saw herself”.

Exhibition tickets for Frida: beyond the myth will go on sale at dma.org for $20 on July 13, 2024. Guests are invited to make it an experience and bundle their ticket with specialty bites and a beverage from the DMA Cafe for only $35. Guests will have the choice of Horchata or a paloma and churros or elotes with purchase. The DMA Store will feature Kahlo-inspired merchandise throughout the run of the show, with unique wares direct from Mexican artisans.